A’s trade for Jeff Samardzija a reference point for Astros

The A’s traded for Jeff Samardzija last year, hoping the righty would put the team’s playoff chances over the top, but it didn’t work out when the A’s lost to the Royals in the Wild Card game. Top prospect Addison Russell headlined the package the A’s gave up for Samardzija, who at the time had a year and a half of control left on his contract.

That experience stands as something of a cautionary tale to Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow at this trade deadline.

“There’s a premium to winning a division because of the way the (playoff) format is set up,” Luhnow said. “But we also saw what happened with Oakland last year. They traded away some really good young players for a couple pieces that they thought were going to secure them, or they were hoping was going to secure them the division, and a nice run into the playoffs and they were bounced after one game. So I think they had the right thought, but the outcome was wrong for them and I hope that doesn’t happen to us. If we go out and we give up some future talent in order to get some help right now, we hope it ends up favorably with us.”

“I mean, you never look back fondly on trading a player like Addison,” Forst told the Sun-Times. “But the reality is we only got to the wild card game, and we don’t get there without Samardzija, and Hammel and [Jon] Lester [later acquired from Boston for Yoenis Cespedes].

“In that respect, we would absolutely do it again.”

Samardzija, now with the White Sox, is coincidentally among the pitchers the Astros are looking at this trade deadline.